Rubber greens



March 27, 1956 w. M. HUBBARD ET AL 2,739,402

RUBBER GREENS Filed April 20, 1953 Mx i 2 f Dik/8K United States Patent C RUBBER GREENS Warren M. Hubbard, Whittier, and Nola D. Levie, Los

Angeles, Calif., assignors to McClintock Manufacturing Co., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Californiti Application April 20, 1953, Serial No. 349,724

4 Claims. (Cl. 41-13) This invention relates to improved rubber greens.

Itis accepted practice to utilize, in the display of foodstuffs and particularly meats in a display case, rubber greens or decorative strips to divide the display surface into compartments for the food on display.

It is an object of this invention to provide such decorative stripping or rubber greens which is of pleasing design configuration to enhance the attractiveness of the display.

It is a further object of this invention to provide rubber greens wherein the rubber is formed in an attractive pattern and securely held.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description:

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of the blank.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the blank after it has been gathered and sewn.

Figure 3 is a section taken along line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is section taken along line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an end view of the blank after gathering and sewing.

Figure 6 is an end view of the blank after sewing with the base thereof crimped on.

Figure 7 is a partial side elevation of the decorative stripping of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a top plan View of the decorative stripping of Figure 6.

A blank 10 is formed of a suitable resilient plastic material. The material and color thereof are preferably a soft pliable green rubber, although it is readily apparent that other suitable materials of varied colors can be utilized.

The blank has its edges serrated as at 12 for decorative purposes. The blank is provided with cuts 14 therein, which cuts are in opposed pairs extending from opposite edges inwardly approximately one-fourth of the width of the blank. At the end of each cut it is inclined as at 16 at an angle of approximately 45 for a small distance to eliminate tearing of the rubber or other material utilized. The pairs of cuts are spaced from one another a suitable distance.

The blanks are folded as illustrated in Figure 3. This folding is accomplished so that three layers of material are superimposed with the cuts 14 positioned slightly inwardly of the extremity of each group 18 of three layers as seen in Figure 3. The blank is then stitched as at 2t) and 22 along its length with the rows of stitching symmetrically disposed and spaced a short distance from the center 24 of the blank 10. When the blank is thus stitched, it is formed as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 with symmetrical substantially S-shaped configurations 26 at its edges.

In order to control a long blank during the cutting and folding operations, it is desirable to start at one extremity and make a pair of cuts and one of the folds and then to make the second opposed pair of cuts and a second fold, and so on to the end of the blank. In this manner 2,739,402 Patented Mar. 27, 1956 the position of the cuts may be controlled so that they are in the desired position slightly inwardly of the extremity of a group 18 of folds.

The edges of the blank 10 are then bent towards one another and the center of the blank positioned in the base 28. The base 28 in this embodiment is formed of a strip of metal which is bent to have sidewalls which are diverging at their base as at 30 and 32 and converging at their extremities as at 34 and 36. The base 28, after the center of the formed blank has been inserted therein, is crimped as viewed in Figure 6, securing the blank therein. When the blank is thus held, the material takes the shape illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. The S-shaped configurations Z6 are thus secured end to end as at 23a and lying in opposite directions with the remaining ends 30a spaced from one another and bearing against the S-shaped configuration next in line. Thus a series of substantially W-shaped pockets are formed between pairs of S-shaped configurations. In this manner a decorative strip is formed which has symmetrically disposed W-shaped pockets along its length which will retain their shape no matter to what abuse the material is subjected. It is to be noted that the cuts 14 terminate a substantial distance above the base 28 and are always at the center of the strip thus formed, preventing any loose ends.

While what hereinbefore has been described is the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is readily apparent that alterations and modifications can be resorted to without departing from the scope of'this invention, and such alterations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

l. A decorative stripping comprising: an elongated blank having a plurality of pairs of cuts extending from opposite sides of said blank towards each other and normal to the center line of said blank, each of said cuts having its inner extremity inclined at an angle to the length of said cut and said pairs being spaced an equal distance along the length of said blank, said blank being folded so that the portion thereof between adjacent pairs of cuts form three superimposed layers, stitching means disposed along the center of said blank securing the layers to one another, and base means holding thecenter of said blank with its side edges adjacent.

2. A decorative stripping comprising: an elongated blank of resilient material having a plurality of pairs of cuts extending from opposite sides of said blank toward each other, and said pairs being spaced an equal distance along the length of said blank, said blank being folded so that the portions thereof between adjacent pairs of cuts form three superimposed layers and also being folded in half along its length at the center thereof with said cuts positioned between the halves of said blank, and means holding the folded blank together at the center but leaving the sides of said blank free so that the superimposed layers spread apart and open up said cuts by spacing apart the edges of said cuts.

3. A decorative stripping comprising: an elongated blank of resilient material having a plurality of pairs of cuts extending from opposite sides of said blank toward each other, folds in said blank to produce a substantially S-shaped portion of superimposed layers between adjacent pairs of cuts, said blank being folded in half along its length at the center thereof with said cuts positioned between the halves of said blank, and means holding the blank at the center but leaving the side edges of said S-shaped portions free so that the superimposed layers spread and open said cuts, the halves of each S-shaped portion being disposed in end to end relationship to produce a series of W-shaped pockets.

4. A decorative stripping comprising: an elongated `blank of resilient material having a plurality of pairs of cuts extending from opposite sides of said blank toward each other, and said pairs being spaced an equal distance along the length of said blank, said blank being folded so that the portions thereof between adjacent pairs of cuts form three superimposed layers and also being folded in half along its length at the center thereof, means holding the folded blank together at the center but leaving the ysides of said blank free, andredges on said cuts which i References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS McClintock Oct. 3, 1933 Baur Oct. 6, 1936 

